NEWSWIRE

Etihad Summer Festival

It’s festival time again and Cricket Canada is pleased to announce a series of events celebrating cricket in the Greater Toronto Area which will culminate with the 2011 Etihad Summer Festival.
Caribbean T20 champions Trinidad and Tobago and 2010 ICC Intercontinental Cup Champions Afghanistan will join Canada in this year’s event.
Quickly becoming one of the most prestigious events on the Associate cricket calendar, the second annual festival celebrates Cricket and gives fans a chance to enjoy the game in various ways throughout the Greater Toronto Area.
Cricket Canada has put together a fun-filled two weeks of activities across the GTA for fans and supporters of all ages.
The cricket excitement gets underway on August 2nd when defending ICC Intercontinental Cup Champions Afghanistan take on Canada in the 2011-2013 Intercontinental Cup opener for both sides.
The match will be played at Maple Leaf Cricket Club in King City, Ontario from August 2 – 5, 2011. Canada will be looking to avenge a heartbreaking loss in 2010 when Afghanistan chased a massive fourth innings total of 475 to defeat Canada in UAE.
August 7th, will see Canada and Afghanistan clash in a One Day International Match at MLCC, before moving to August 9th at Toronto Cricket Skating and Curling Club in Toronto for the final One Day International Match of the series. Canada and Afghanistan have engaged in classic battles since their first encounter in 2009 with several matches coming down to the last overs and ending in thrilling fashions.
With the large Afghan diaspora in GTA and the overwhelming support Canada receives at home games it is sure to be an electric atmosphere at the ground.
August 9th will also be KIDS day at TCSCC as several local Cricket Academies will participate in a Cricket Canada KIDS demonstration during the lunch break of the second ODI.
The Etihad Summer Festival T20 Tournament runs August 11th and 12th. August 11th will see Trinidad and Tobago take the field for the first time. In the first match of the day, Afghanistan will take on Trinidad and Tobago and in the second match, Canada will take on Afghanistan.
On Sunday, The Festival will continue with Canada taking on T&T in the morning and the Etihad Summer Festival Final to be played that afternoon.
On August 13th, Cricket Canada will co-present the award winning movie Fire in Babylon. The film about the rise of the West Indies Cricket Team in the 1970’s and 1980’s, tells the story of sporting triumph set against the cultural and political turbulence of the time. Tickets are available at FIBTORONTO.ZOOBIS.COM
August 14th and 15th will feature matches between Canada and Trinidad and Tobago, the details of which are being worked out between the two countries.
Trinidad and Tobago are one of the top T20 sides in the world and their side features top West Indies internationals Adrian Barath, Lendl Simmons, Darren Bravo, and Ravi Rampaul.Event Schedule
August 2 – 5, 2011 Canada vs. Afghanistan | ICC Intercontinental Cup | MLCC
August 7, 2011 Canada vs. Afghanistan | ICC Associate ODI League | MLCC
August 9, 2011 Canada vs. Afghanistan| ICC Associate ODI League | TCSCC
August 11, 2011 Afghanistan vs. T&T | Etihad Summer Festival |T20 | MLCC
August 11, 2011 Canada vs. Afghanistan | Etihad Summer Festival | T20 | MLCC
August 12, 2011 Canada vs. T&T | Etihad Summer Festival | T20 | MLCC
August 12, 2011 Final | Etihad Summer Festival | T20 | MLCC
August 13, 2011 Movie : Fire in Babylon | Etihad Summer Festival | Film | TBA
August 14, 2011 Canada vs. T&T | Etihad Summer Festival | 50 Over | MLCC
August 15, 2011Canada vs. T&T | Etihad Summer Festival | T20 | MLCC